BDU sleeve roll up

[JerseyDevil]

When is the official date pertaining to BDUs and the rolling up of their sleeves? I know squadron commanders may do whatever they want with this. But if i'm not mistaken their is a specific date. I looked online for a half hour and ended up with nothing. Isn't is a holiday?

[LSThiker]

Well I go year round with my sleeves down.

Better yet, what does CAPM 39-1 say about this?  Hint, you already answered your question with 30 minutes of negative searching.

[lordmonar]

There is no official policy in CAP or the USAF about when the sleeves can be rolled up.

Local commanders may dictate as they please.

[The14th]

I keep mine down due to a tattoo sleeve. And coming from the Army, we never rolled our BDU sleeves, so I'm bad at it.

[Shuman 14]

I keep mine down due to a tattoo sleeve. And coming from the Army, we never rolled our BDU sleeves, so I'm bad at it.

Lad, you're just not old enough to remember when we did roll our sleeves up. 

Heck I can remember at one point in time it was authorized to actually have the sleeves cut to "short sleeve" length and then have a false cuff, tab and buttons added to it.

It was a delightful summer garrison uniform.

[Sapper168]

When I was in the army we always rolled our sleeves in garrison during the dates determined by whoever up at the higher echelons.
  Now mine are always down to the tattoo sleeves, same boat as The14th.

[The14th]

I keep mine down due to a tattoo sleeve. And coming from the Army, we never rolled our BDU sleeves, so I'm bad at it.

Lad, you're just not old enough to remember when we did roll our sleeves up. 

Good point haha

[jhighman]

During my tenure in the Army, we were not authorized to roll our sleeves. The thought was that since our brothers and sisters were overseas in the desert with their sleeves down, we would show solidarity and keep ours down too. Don't know what if anything was officially said on the subject, but I was at several units where they said the same things.

[LSThiker]

During my tenure in the Army, we were not authorized to roll our sleeves. The thought was that since our brothers and sisters were overseas in the desert with their sleeves down, we would show solidarity and keep ours down too. Don't know what if anything was officially said on the subject, but I was at several units where they said the same things.

I wore both the BDUs and ACUs. ACUs were never authorized for sleeves up. The BDUs on the other hand were allowed sleeves up. Officially from the Army, there was no such solidarity order. That being said, units can be weird and the commanders wanted that. I do not know how many times I would hear "well I am 1st Cav and that is the way we do it". Just look at the variation in PT belts. Some bases and units would sictate yellow for enlisted, green for NCO, blue for officer. Then some required the rank to be pinned onto the belt. Then some required a vest with US ARMY and rank sewn on. Then some just cared if you had a belt. Some allowed either vest or belt.

That being said, AMEDD has published guidance that sleeves down is better in hot environments than sleeves up.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Can you post a link to that AMEDD statement?

I just wrote a message correcting my cadet commander who said in a message to the rest of the cadets that "CAP regs state that BDU sleeves should be up in the beginning of Spring."

I was surprised since he is a Cadet 1st Lt!

[LSThiker]

Can you post a link to that AMEDD statement?

I just wrote a message correcting my cadet commander who said in a message to the rest of the cadets that "CAP regs state that BDU sleeves should be up in the beginning of Spring."

I was surprised since he is a Cadet 1st Lt!

Well AMEDD guidance and a date do not go hand in hand.  There simply is no guidance by NHQ or the USAF regarding sleeves.

Nevertheless, I will look to see if I can find that guidance.  Considering that it has been over 10 years since the Army transitioned to the ACUs, a lot of the BDU guidance has since been removed.  In addition, since leaving the Army, I have deleted a lot of my old AMEDD files.  I will take a look to see if I can find the guidance though. 

[kwe1009]

Can you post a link to that AMEDD statement?

I just wrote a message correcting my cadet commander who said in a message to the rest of the cadets that "CAP regs state that BDU sleeves should be up in the beginning of Spring."

I was surprised since he is a Cadet 1st Lt!

One thing that I would recommend that you tell all of your cadets is to get away from saying, "CAP regs state..."  What comes after those 3 words are usually incorrect.  Always state the reg you are referring to, especially in official communications to the squadron.  It saves a lot of arguing and hurt feelings.  Whenever I hear one of my cadets say, "CAP regs sate"  I always ask, "which one?" 

Too many "CAP regs" are just people's opinions passed down and really have not basis in any reg.  The same can be said of the Air Force.  I can't count the number of times someone said, "Air Force regs state..." and it was a completely false statement and the person saying it was simply repeating what someone had told them without looking it up.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Yea...the "rolled sleeves in Spring" is about as regulatory as these:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=4155.0

[TexasBEAST]

I don't have any AMEDD statements, but the GT task guide does say to roll BDU sleeves down for field work, to protect the wearer from all sorts of elements (including but not limited to the sun). That should be even more apropos for CAP purposes than any Army document, I would think.

Of course, I recall posting a TON of guidance from multiple different governmental and nongovernmental sources advising the use of widebrim (boonie) hats for sun protection over on the old CadetStuff boards, as well, but that was not met with welcoming arms at all... 

[abdsp51]

I've always worn sleeves down for the longest time especially since I have had to wear ABUs.  In CAP its a rarity I've rolled my sleeves.   It's funny when cadets offer to roll my sleeves and I politely decline and the look is priceless when they are informed that I and them will actually stay cooler with them down.  This was done even when I was in Az. 

[Storm Chaser]

I've been keeping my BDU sleeves down since I joined the Air Force almost 19 years ago. I know how to roll them up well and have taught many cadets, but I just prefer them down. I think they're more comfortable that way.

[TarRiverRat]

I hate having them rolled.  Feels like my circulation is being cut off in my arms.  Prefer them down and also less hassle as well.

[PHall]

I hate having them rolled.  Feels like my circulation is being cut off in my arms.  Prefer them down and also less hassle as well.

If you roll them "right" they don't feel like a tournequet!

[UWONGO2]

I've always worn sleeves down for the longest time especially since I have had to wear ABUs.  In CAP its a rarity I've rolled my sleeves.   It's funny when cadets offer to roll my sleeves and I politely decline and the look is priceless when they are informed that I and them will actually stay cooler with them down.  This was done even when I was in Az.

I've had far less success in the horribly hot & muggy midwest. I once made the mistake of removing my watch, it was apparently holding back a waterfall's worth of sweat.

To be fair, I suspect it would have been unpleasant with my sleeves up too.

[abdsp51]

I have always stayex cooler with them down regardless of where I was at.  Texas for all the trips there,  Mississippi, California,  Middle east and Korea.  You will stay cooler with sleeves down.